Exploring the gauge flexibility of the linear-in-spin effective-one-body Hamiltonian at the 5.5 post-Newtonian order

Abstract

We derive the gauge-general expressions of the two gyro-gravitomagnetic functions entering the spin-orbit sector of the effective-one-body (EOB) Hamiltonian up to the fifth-and-half post-Newtonian (5.5PN) order. Our results include both local and nonlocal-in-time contributions, providing the most general analytical formulation of the linear-in-spin conservative dynamics within the EOB framework. These expressions are then employed to compute two gauge-invariant observables for quasi-circular orbits: the binding energy and the fractional periastron advance. We also use them to compare two spin-gauge choices: the well-known Damour-Jaranowski-Sch\"afer ($\rm DJS$) gauge, in which the gyro-gravitomagnetic functions are independent of the orbital angular momentum, and the alternative anti-$\rm DJS$ (or $\overline{\rm DJS}$) gauge, designed to reproduce in the test-mass limit the spin-orbit interaction of a spinning test particle in a Kerr background. For a circular, equal-mass, equal-spin binary, our analysis indicates that the $\overline{\rm DJS}$ gauge provides a slightly improved description of the inspiral dynamics, suggesting potential advantages for its use in future EOB waveform models.